Five Years On
by natzbadfairy
Summary: Meredith and Derek split five years ago. Meredith got married, Derek moved back to New York without Addison. But there's always a piece of her in his mind and he needs her, but she needs him more that he could imagine. Possiable one shot...Please Review :
1. Chapter 1

**Hey people! This could be a random one shot. It's five years on and Derek is in New York, and not with Addison. Meredith lives in Seattle and is married to Pete. This is based around them but if you do want to know how every one else is doing then fine. Christina and Burke are married. George is with a new intern called Susan (didn't sleep with Meredith) and very much in love. Denny didn't exist (neither did the prom) so Alex and Izzie are going strong. Please read and review. Tell me if you want me to continue. I want to but I'm not sure. Let me know **

Derek lifted the phone from his office and dialled down to the main trauma area in New York General.

'Patterson, you paged me?'

'We've got a domestic abuse case on its way in. thirty year old female. Husband beat the living crap out of her casing a lot of damage. She's apparently running away from him. She's got head traumas. We need the chief on this one,'

'I'll be down shortly,' Derek put the phone down and peeled the white lab coat off, know that he was going to be busy. It had been five years since he had moved to New York, leaving behind him a life that was perfect until Addison had showed up. He had been offered chief of neurosurgery out here and took the job instantly. He hadn't heard from Addison in four years, and hadn't heard anything from Seattle in three. It really bothered him that it had been five years since the move, since he let go of the one person that made him feel complete and happy, but he didn't make her happy, he broke her heart. Meredith had been an angel in his life sent to save him. But she was happy now, married, a good job. Lifting his pager and stethoscope he headed down to trauma. Chris Patterson was the most senior resident that New York General had but he was also the best. He and Derek were best friends and Derek knew it would take a hell of a lot for them to fall out. He had picked Derek up in the darkest of days when he first moved out and his heart was broken from leaving Meredith in Seattle.

'When she due in?'

'That the ambulance there,'

'Ok, lets get this rolling,' Derek watched as the gurney got brought in and stood back, watching as all the nurses fixed the figure lying on the bed up to monitors and saline drips. The woman's head was badly bashed, her face purple with bruises. Her hair was streamed with red, the blood still trickling out the back. Her arms were covered in hand marks and her hands badly shredded.

'Chris, did they get the guy that did this?'

'Apparently he's in Seattle, took a flight out there after he did this. The cops are after him, big time,'

'What are her stats?'

'Her ICP is stable and her BP's slightly raised. Heart beats are at an even rhythm,'

'Ok, let's get her for a CT and a MRI. Make sure she's stable first,'

'Shepherd, can you take a look at her back? There seems to be a lot of bruising,' Derek walked over and round to the woman's head. Looking down he stopped breathing, unable to move.

'Derek, what's wrong?' He didn't answer, just stood, staring at the face he knew so well, but it didn't look like her. Her eyes swollen, cuts on her face coming down her to the base of her neck, chunks of her hair missing at the hairline.

'Derek!'

'It's her?'

'Who?'

'It's her,'

'Derek!'

'Meredith…' Derek's voice wasn't above a whisper but Chris took a sharp breath in.

'This is Meredith,' Derek moved the piece of hair from her face and gently caressed her face.

'Ok, let's get her for a CT and MRI. Get her into a hospital gown before you move her. Do it gently, she's in pain as it is,' as two nurses started undressing her, peeling her trousers off, Derek could feel the nausea washing over him. Her legs looked like they had been covered in blue ink, the bruises beginning to turn purple. Her stomach was badly marked. Derek walked away from the bed, Chris following him. He didn't know how to feel. Anger? Sadness? Fear? He didn't know. He started running, along the busy corridors, passing nurses and doctors, ignoring their looks and whispers. Pushing the door open, the wind was rushing over the roof. Running to the corner, he started throwing up, not caring that Chris had followed him and was shouting his name. Wiping his mouth he finally realised what was happening.

'I left her in Seattle. I should have stayed with her. She'd be fine if I had stayed.' The tears started falling and they wouldn't stop. Meredith, the one person her loved more than life it's self was lying in a hospital bed because he had left her on her own, ran away instead of staying and being with her. Chris walked over and put his arms around Derek.

'She's got you now, and you won't ever let her go again, you understand? You have to be there for her, wither she wants you there or not you'll be there,' Derek held onto the back of Chris's scrubs and broke down into his shoulder.

'Come on, she needs you,' Derek followed him down to Meredith's room. The blinds had been shut over and nobody could see in. There was a single nurse in with Meredith, checking her meds.

'Where are the CT scans?' Derek wiped his face and held them up to the light box.

'No internal head trauma,'

'Stay with her. I'll distribute your easier surgeries amongst the other residents. I'll reschedule or cancel all the other ones. Stay with her,' Derek sat on the blue seat next to her and took her right hand in his.

'Mere, it's me. I'm not leaving you ever. I promise, I'll be right by your side and I won't let anybody hurt you again. I was a jackass when I left Seattle. I shouldn't have left you, I'm sorry,' Derek bowed his head and let the tears fall silently onto their hands.

'Derek?' Meredith's voice was less than a whisper. His head shot up, the deep intense eyes that she loved, had lost their sparkle and were red and bloodshot.

'Mere,'

'I heard what you said,' Derek shook his head and looked to the door.

'You really promise?' Derek turned and smiled at her.

'I promise,' Meredith lifted her hand to her face and kissed the back of his.

'I came here looking for you, but I never made it,' Derek gently wiped the tears falling from her eyes.

'He's gone back to Seattle. The cops are looking for him. How long has this been happening?'

'Three months,' Derek closed his eyes and bit the inside of his lip. He knew he shouldn't say anything but he couldn't hold back.

'Why did you put up with it?'

'He said he loved me and that it wouldn't happen again. I believed him every time,'

'What else did he do to you?'

'Just what you see,' Derek nodded his head and smiled.

'He won't hurt you anymore, I promise,' Meredith closed her eyes and felt the pain she was feeling disappear as she felt Derek rubbing the back of her hand. As she began to fall asleep, she listened as Derek whispered in her ear about times they had In Seattle. The night they met in Joes. The next day. The time bailey caught them. His voice was warm and comforting, easing her gently into sleep. As soon As Derek realised she was sleeping he slipped out the room, knowing he had to phone Seattle.

'Richard, Derek Shepherd here,'

'Derek? What are you calling for?'

'It's Meredith,'

'What's wrong? Is she with you?'

'Yes she's with me. I thought you should know what's happening. She's been badly beaten,'

'Who by?'

'The bastard she was married to'

'Pete?'

'I don't know his name. She's in one hell of a mess. I thought you should know.'

'Is she…I mean she's not going to…?'

'No she's not leaving. She's sleeping but she's still in a mess. Are Christina, George and Izzie working?'

'No, their all off. Meredith ran off and they were worried about her. They all signed off sick at the same time,'

'Ok, I'll phone the house. I'm moving back to Seattle. You still looking for a Chief of Neuro or have you found one?'

'Derek, I only called you two weeks ago and offered you the job. Of course it's still open. You want it?'

'I'm having Meredith transferred down to Seattle. I'm coming with her,'

'It's waiting for you Derek,'

'I'll see you later Chief,' Derek hung up but re lifted the phone again, dialling a number he had done may times before but always hanging up before it started ringing.

'Hello?'

'Izzie?'

'Who's' this?'

'It's Derek shepherd,'

'Oh, Meredith's not here,'

'I know, she's with me,'

'SHE'S WITH YOU?'

'Yeah, Who's' there?'

'Me, George, Christina,'

'Is Pete there?'

'No,'

'Ok, put me on speaker phone,' Izzie put the phone down and pressed for the large speaker to come on.

'Meredith's in New York General. Pete beat the living crap out of her. She's in one hell of a mess but she's ok. I'm having her transferred up,' Derek could hear izzie crying in the back ground, when George started talking.

'How bad is she?'

'There's no internal bleeding, no internal head trauma but her body looks like she's been attacked with a baseball bat,'

'Ok, when is she being brought down?'

'Tomorrow. I need for her to sleep,'

'I don't mean to be rude…well it might sound rude but…I don't mean it to be rude but,'

'George spit it out?'

'Why is she In New York with you?' Derek looked around to see if any nurses were about.

'She said she was coming to find me,'

'She did what I told her to do,'

'What?' Derek heard the phone being lifted off speaker.

'I told her to stop acting like she was happy and go and get the one person that would make her happy,'

'When did you tell her this?'

'About three months ago. Why?'

'That's when he started on her…she was leaving him, that's why he did this, she was leaving him,'

'Derek, he's at the door,' Derek's heart started pounding against his chest.

'Pretend I'm Joe or something. Don't let him know where she is. Get him in the house and keep him there. Phone the cops once he's in. Don't tell him where she is and make sure you don't let him leave,'

'Thanks Joe, I'll do that,'

'I'm coming back with her tomorrow. If anything happens phone me,'

'I will Joe, thanks,' George clicked the phone off leaving Derek wondering what was happening. Standing in a day dream, he was only brought out of it by Chris's hand on his shoulder.

'You ok?'

'Yeah, thanks for earlier,'

'It was nothing. What are you doing now?'

'I'm going back to Seattle with her,'

'Oh,'

'I have a chance to be with her again and I'm not going to give that up. I let her go once and look what happened? She looks like she's been run over by a bus,'

'Go for it Derek. When are you leaving?'

'She's being transferred tomorrow,'

'Tomorrow? No leaving do? No getting drunk on last time?'

'I'll be back soon after it to tie everything up. I'm not leaving her again, ever. I love her Chris,'

'I know, good luck Derek,'

'Come in and see her, she woke up earlier,' Chris followed Derek in to the room where Meredith was stirring slightly. Opening her eyes her eyes shot open at the fact Derek wasn't beside her.

'I'm right here,' Derek stood at the side of the bed and wiped the hair from her face.

'I thought you had left me again,' Meredith chuckle slightly.

'Not for all the ferryboats in the world would I leave you,' Meredith tried to sit up, but the bruises at the bottom of her back stopped her from sitting up straight.

'You're supposed to be lying on you back,'

'I don't do hospitals. I spend almost everyday in them and tell patients the exact same thing,'

'You're nicer than the way he described you,'

'He described me?'

'Many a time, especially when he had tequila, that was like walking into a minefield when you gave him tequila,'

'You stole my drink?'

'I needed something of you. This is Chris, Picked me up from the floor many a time,'

'That I would have loved to see,' Meredith laughed at the thought of Derek on the floor.

'He thinks he's superman when he's had a drink,'

'Nothings changed then,' Chris smiled at the fact he wasn't the only one who had seen Derek be superman.

'How are you feeling?'

'I really want to go home,'

'You're being transferred to Seattle grace tomorrow. I phoned Richard and the 'Family''

'Have they found him yet?' Derek bit his tongue.

'There looking,' Meredith finally sat up and wasn't in pain. Chris signed her chart and left them alone. Meredith moved her legs and made a space on the bed. Taking Derek's hand she pulled him onto the bed.

'When you left Seattle, I felt so alone. You told me you were leaving then the next day you were gone. I met him in Joes; he said his wife had just left him. It went from there. Six months later he proposed. I said yes, but not because I loved him. It was because he was so different from you. Nothing about him reminded me of you. He was so different. I thought about you almost everyday, the hospital being the worst. We'd been married for two months when it started. The first time I told him I was coming to find you. He went crazy. I never mentioned you again in front of him. He found a ticket for New York in my bag. One way. I was coming and wasn't going back. Again I said I wasn't leaving. It just kept happening. Until yesterday. I booked a flight and kept everything in my locker. He came to pick me up after work. It wasn't in the plan. I ran from him and didn't realise he had got on the same plane as me,' Meredith stopped and took a deep breath in.

'Mere, you don't have to tell me this,'

'I know, but I need to tell you. It was in the airport. I didn't see him behind me. Next thing I know I'm here, you holding my hand and telling me stuff I shouldn't of heard,' Derek smiled.

'Yeah, and I meant every word,' Meredith sat up; wincing with every move she made, and hugged Derek. Placing his arms gently around her waist, he kissed her face gently.

'You smell really good,'

'Ok, when am I getting out of here?'

'Tomorrow, but you're staying in Seattle grace,'

'Oh, come on. I really want to go home,'

'Mere, look at yourself. You look like you've been dragged through a hedge backwards and then beaten to a pulp. You're in no fit state to go home,'

'That made me feel so much better,'

'We'll it doesn't matter what you look like to me but I don't want you to be ill so you're staying in the hospital,'

'For how long?'

'A few days,'

'What about…' Meredith's voice trailed off.

'About who?'

'Him,'

'He won't come near you, I promise. And if he even thinks about it, I'll give him a lobotomy,'

'Does the patient not have to be dead for that?' Derek raised his eyebrows and started laughing.

'I promise he won't ever hurt you again. I love you too much to let it happen,'

'But it did happen,'

'I know, and it's killing me inside, but it won't happen again, that I promise,' Meredith leaned in and kissed Derek lightly.

'I love you too,'

'Get some sleep. You need to be ready for tomorrow. A helicopter ride isn't the most pleasant experience you'll ever have,'

'I bet,' Derek eased Meredith down in the bed and tried to run his fingers through her hair, but the blood had made it tuggey.

'If you need me, page me,' leaning down he kissed her head gently. Her eyes were soon closed, her heart rate slowed and her body finally rested. Heading along to the on call room, Derek collapsed on the bed and felt his eyes shutting, but he willed himself awake. Lying, staring at the ceiling, feeling of anger and rage began building up inside of him. He wanted to kill him. Wrap his arms around his neck and kill him. If he ever got his hands on Pete, god help him. That bastard put his hands on her the way nobody should. He had no right and it was breaking Derek up inside.

'You want to kill him?'

'How'd you guess?'

'Derek, I've known you for five years. I know you like I know my shadow. I've never seen you lying with your fists clenched,' Derek looked down and realised that they were clenched. Releasing them he took a deep breath in.

'I hate it. I hate the fact I left her. The fact she married him. The fact he even thought about laying a finger on her never mind actually hurting her. She's different from the last time I saw her. She seems fragile, like doll. When she was in Seattle, she was strong and independent. You'd of laughed at some of the things she said to me. She just…she's not the Meredith I remember, but I still, love her more than anything,'

'Derek, the man she thought loved her beat the living crap out of her on more than on occasion. I think she's allowed to be different. You just need to be there for her. She's going to be fine,'

'Yeah,'

_gagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagaga_

Derek pushed the wheelchair along the corridor, Meredith sitting with her hands under the thighs. Her hair scraped back into a loose ponytail, the blur tracksuit making her look white and gaunt.

'You ok?'

'Yeah, can't wait to get out of here though,'

'You've only been here three days,'

'I know but, I just feel better for getting out of here,' Derek stopped outside Richard Webbers office and pushed the door open. Meredith put her hands up and stood up, using Derek's arm as a support.

'I'm ok,'

'Tell him everything, not just what you want to,'

'I will,' Derek followed Meredith in and kept a hand round her waist.

'Meredith, how are you doing?'

'I'm fine,' Derek smiled at Meredith.

'Ok, I'm really sore but I'm ok,'

'Well, I'll get straight to the point. I got a phone call from the cops. They have arrested Pete. He is being charged,'

'What with?' Meredith's grip on Derek's hand got tighter.

'Attempted murder and GBH or ABH,'

'Attempted murder?'

'The injuries he gave you could have killed you. He is sick in the head. He should rot in hell for it,'

'Richard, its ok,'

'I agree,'

'You would kill him Derek,'

'Yeah, and?'

'And he'll get what's coming,' Richard Webber smiled.

'Why are you so calm about this?' Meredith looked up. Turning to face Derek, her face lit up.

'Cause I know that no matter what happens, their somebody going to be with me, helping through it, holding my hand,'


	2. Lola

**Hello! This was supposed to be a one shot but people convinced me to continue. Its five years since Derek and Meredith got back together. Pete got a jail sentence for what he did to Meredith. They are three years married, with a baby girl who's two, turning three. This won't be a long fan fiction. I have about six on the go and not enough time to update them all so this will be short one. Hope you enjoy. Please read and review :)  
**

Meredith climbed out of bed and stumbled down the stairs. It was hitting five thirty and she started in an hour. Derek was already up, making coffee in the kitchen.

'Morning,' Meredith smiled and walked round the island in the kitchen and wrapped her arms around Derek's neck.

'Do I have to go to work?'

'Sadly yes but it's only for six hours. I'm the same,'

'I miss the long lies,'

'I bet you do,' Meredith went on her tip toes and kissed Derek.

'When did she settle back into sleep?' Derek shrugged his shoulders

'About twenty minutes ago,'

'I'll wake her after I have a shower. She was up about four times last night. When did she come in beside us?'

'About two thirty. I carried her back through to her bed about thirty minutes ago,' Meredith poured two mugs of coffee and handed one to Derek. Derek started smiling as she ran her hand along his ass.

'Is that an invitation?'

'It might be,'

'How do I accept?'

'Follow me,' Derek put the mug down on the kitchen counter and followed Meredith up the stairs. Lola was still fast asleep in her bed. Taking hold of his hand, Meredith pulled him along the corridor in to the bathroom. His hands slipped under her Dartmouth top and pulled it up over her head. Falling back into the shower, Meredith wrapped her legs around his waist and started kissing his neck. Meredith and Derek were coming down from the point of ecstasy when they heard Lola screaming.

'Not again,' Meredith climbed out the shower, Derek following her. Lifting a towel and wrapping it around herself she ran along to the end bedroom. The small girl was sitting in her bed, tears streaming down her face.

'Mommy's here,' Meredith outstretched her arms to the young girl and scooped her up onto her hip. The dark haired girls head snuggled into Meredith neck and kept crying. Derek pushed the curls out her face and bent down to be eye level. She kept her face tightly in against Meredith's neck.

'You go and get dressed. I'll settle her back down and then you can get her ready,' Derek nodded and kissed Meredith on her head.

'Lola, look at mommy,' her head lifted of off Meredith's neck and looked her straight in the eyes. Her piercing blue eyes were glassy from the tears.

'What's wrong?'

'The widow'

'What window?'

'That wone,' Meredith walked over and opened the window.

'There's nothing there baby,' the young girl started squirming. Meredith shut the window over and walked over to the bed. Sitting down she ran her fingers through the young girl's wavy dark hair. She was her father's daughter.

'Hey, you coming to see Daddy?' Meredith handed her over to Derek and went along to get ready. It had been three months since Lola had slept the full night through. It was the same thing every night that kept her up. The window frightened her. Meredith pulled her jeans on and scraped her hair back. She had thirty minutes to get to the hospital and couldn't be late. Derek walked into the bed room with Lola fully dressed, holding her hands in the air, walking behind her.

'Wow! Who was a good girl this morning?' Meredith ran a brush though Lola hair and her hand through Derek's as he leaned down to kiss her.

'We have to go,' Meredith lifted her bag and went along to Lola's room. The sun had begun filtering in, illuminating the room. Pulling clothes out the drawers, Meredith made bag for the little girl up know she would be put to bed in the hospital. She hated having to put her to sleep in the hospital then wake her up to take her home. She had a disturbed sleep as it was. Derek was strapping Lola into the back of the car when Meredith ran down the stairs, carrying her mug of coffee.

'I have surgery in an hour, when do you start?'

'I've got an intracranial bypass at seven so I can take little miss angel for breakfast,' Derek pulled out the driveway and took of for the hospital. The roads were starting to get busy and Meredith knew that if she had left the house five minutes later she would have been caught in the rush hour traffic. Meredith climbed out the car and lifted the small pink bag from her feet. Running round to the side of the car she kissed the Lola on the head.

'See you later baby girl,' Meredith handed Derek the bag and slid her hand in his back pocket.

'I'll see you shortly,' kissing him gently on the lips; she ran off and headed straight for the locker rooms. Izzie, Alex George and Suzan were sitting talking. Alex was sitting behind Izzie, his arms wrapped around her waist. George doing the same to Susan.

'Hey Mere,'

'Hey, you seen Bailey?'

'She's got an early surgery,'

'Crap,'

'What's up?'

'I need a cardio vascular consult on a case I got yesterday,'

'I'll do it,' Christina came out from behind the lockers and smiled at Meredith.

'Hey, when did you get back from london?' Christina let a small smirk cross her face at the thought of London

'Yesterday. Burkes not due in until later. What's the case?'

'A forty seven year old woman. Has had headaches for the past four months. Also suffering from sever chest pains when she breaths in,'

'Ill see her later. You look like crap,'

'Lola was up during the night again,'

'Maybe you should take her to see somebody,'

'She's frightened of the window,'

'Ah, Amy had the same problem,' Susan bent over Georges arm to look at Meredith.

'Put a lock on the window and every night when she goes to bed, show her you locking it. It makes her feel secure. We did it and when me and George put her to bed she stays sleeping the whole night through,'

'I will thanks,' Meredith closed her locker and went along to room 5684. As she reached the door, her pager started going off.

'Truama-911-neuro consult needed-pit' running down, she spotted Bailey standing over the patient, trying to settle him back down onto the bed.

'What have we got?'

'No, Meredith, we'll page somebody else, go,'

'Bailey, what the hell is going on? I got paged so he's my patient now what have we got?' As Meredith walked over to the bed she stopped dead in her tracks.

'What happened?' her voice was croaky.

'A riot. He got crushed against a barred wall. Al least forty men stood on him. We'll page Derek,' Meredith fell backwards from the bed, tripping over a ventilator.

'Meredith, go now,' Meredith walked away from the room, shaken at the patient. Walking over to the elevator, the tears were being held back with all her will power. Her face was white as a sheet. She folded her arms and stood, not touching anything or anyone. As the doors open she lifted her head. Derek went to leave but seen the state Meredith was in.

'Mere, what's wrong?' She said nothing and didn't move.

'Mere…' Derek put his hands out to her as he walked forward, but they were no use. She fell to the floor, her body is shock and also in fear. Derek went behind her, wiping her face.

'Mere…what's wrong?'

'He's here'

'Who's here?'

'Him,' Derek didn't know who she was talking about. She wasn't making sense. Getting her back up to her feet he walked her over to the hospital waiting area.

'Mere, you need to tell me what's wrong,' Derek wiped the stray bit of hair away from her face.

'He's here,'

'Who,' she closed her eyes. The image of his eyes stuck in her head.

'Pete…' Her voice trailed off into nothing.

'What?' Derek's face went red. His jaw clenched.

'Where is he?'

'Trauma,' Derek stood up and walked over to the reception.

'Debbie, page Alex Karev for me. Tell him that Meredith needs help. If he was any problems to contact me. Keep an eye on Meredith,' looking at her frail looking form, Derek went along to trauma. Bailey was standing with a set of CT scans.

'Derek, his scans are clear. No need for you here,'

'Is he conscious?'

'Yes,' Derek turned from Bailey and walked over to the side of the bed.

'You son of a bitch. Grant yourself lucky your in here cause I swear to god one day, I will get you for what you did to her, for every mark you made on her body, I will kill you a thousand times over,' Derek watched as Pete's face turned white.

'Who are you?'

'I'm your worst nightmare come true. When I get my hands on you and it is when not if, I swear to god, you will die,' Derek's hands were turning white as he gripped the rail on the bed. Bailey stood with her back to Derek, listening to five years of hate showing only a tiny piece of themselves. She pretended she wasn't hearing anything. She knew how much restraint Derek was using. He would kill him and she knew he would make it painful.

'You hurt her so much and I despise you for it. Be glad you don't need head surgery because if you did, I'd do it with not anaesthesia. You'd be wide away and feel every movement,' Derek knew if he stayed he would lose it and seriously hurt him. Walking away he heard Bailey turning round.

'He's not allowed to talk to me like that!'

'Like what?' Bailey grunted as she walked out the room. Derek smiled. Trust Bailey to be like that. Hear not evil, see no evil, speak no evil.

'Dr Shepherd, Meredith left before Alex came down to get her. I don't know where she went,'

'I do. Put a block on all non emergency pages for us both,' Debbie nodded.

'If you need me to keep an eye on Lola, I don't mind,'

'Thanks Debbie,' Derek walked over to the stair well and headed up the eight flights of stairs, to the grey door. It was half open, the wind rushing in the gap. Meredith was standing at the edge of the roof, her hair blowing over her face. She was shaking, with coldness and weeping. But the tears fell silently. Walking over he placed his hand on her shoulder. She jumped at his touch before realising who it was.

'I'm sorry,' Meredith bowed her head like a naughty child.

'Come here,' Wrapping her hands around his waist, she pulled herself in close against him.

'When I close my eyes I see his eyes. When my eyes are open, I think about him. He's got me back,'

'NO! He will never have you and he will never hurt you again. I made a promise to you that I would keep him away from you and I intend to keep that promise,' Meredith took a sharp breath in.

'He hasn't changed, not one bit,'

'I spoke to him,' Meredith lifted her head away from Derek.

'What?' Her voice shaking.

'I said I'd kill him once I got him out of here,'

'Derek…'

'Meredith, he won't hurt you again. Believe me he won't ever hurt you again,' and with those words, Meredith head fell against Derek's chest and the tears started falling faster than before. Derek tried to soothe her, but the damage was done, that first punch thrown and no matter what he did or promised, it could never be taken back.


	3. gold band

'Crap,' Meredith wiped her face and pulled her pager out from her waist band.

'Who is it?'

'Bailey,' Meredith clipped her pager back on and hugged Derek tightly before heading along to the nurses station. Her eyes were puffy, her face tear stained. As she approached Bailey she watched as her face changed.

'Where the hell… You alright Grey?'

'Fine Dr Bailey. You paged me?'

'He wants to see you,' Bailey pointed in the direction of Pete's room.

'No, I'm not going any where near him,' Meredith started backing away when Bailey took hold of her hand.

'He's not going to make it through the night,' Meredith stopped and looked at Miranda's face.

'What?' Meredith's voice was croaky.

'His stomach has been trampled on past the point of repair. He won't make it another twenty four hours. I know about what he did to you but don't give him the satisfaction of knowing that he still gets you. Put on the face you give me everyday and go and rub it in his face that you're happy,'

'I can't,'

'Yes you can. I'll be right beside you. Come on Grey,' Bailey was determined for Meredith to go into the room, even if it meant locking her in there. Meredith was walking a head of Bailey, Baileys hand on the bottom of her back.

'You can do this Grey,' Meredith nodded her head and pushed the door open. Pete was sitting up on the bed. A tube was helping him to breath, a tube extracting the blood from his stomach.

'Meredith,' She said nothing, just stood smiling.

'Bet your glad I'm not going to be here much longer. I just wanted you to know why I did what I did,'

'What? You expect me to listen to your excuses? Your reasons? You said you loved me yet still found it ok to knock the living hell out of me. Pete, I hope you rot in hell,' Meredith pushed Bailey out the way and stormed away, leaving Bailey with Pete.

'Give her this. Please, It's all I ask,'

'Why?'

'Because I need her to understand,'

'Understand what? Why you beat her to pulp? Why you nearly killed her?'

'Yes…No…please, just give it to her,' Bailey took the envelope and pushed it into her lab coat pocket.

'The nurse should be in to set up a PCP pump to help control the pain. Don't think you'll be seeing her again, that was your last chance,' Bailey flipped the chart over to see Meredith leaning against the wall beside the elevator.

'Grey when I tell you to see a patient, you will go and see a patient. I don't care who they are but you will go and see that patient,' Meredith leaned off the wall and looked at Bailey.

'You know why I didn't want to see him? Not because he beat me to a pulp, no...' Meredith's voice fell to just above a whisper. Bailey went to put her hand up but was stopped by Meredith.

'he raped me,' The elevator door opened and Meredith stepped inside, going straight to the back. Bailey stood, her mouth hanging open at what she had just heard.

'Keep your mouth shut,' the elevator doors closed and Meredith walked forward pulling the emergency stop out. Falling back against the wall, her legs gave way and she fell to the floor. Her eyes were shut tight but all she could see was that night.

'_PETE, NO…PLEASE…STOP!' Meredith was screaming, but he wouldn't stop. She could feel his hands unbuttoning her trousers, ripping her underwear off in the process._

'_You think you can run from me? No, it doesn't work like that. You should have known better,' Meredith pushed him away and ran to the front door, but she tripped on the brown rug, causing her to fall. She could feel his weight down on her back, holding her hands. _

'_You will never leave me…you understand…NEVER!' _

Meredith's eyes shot open with the sensation of her pager on her hip.

'Mere…Derek…Where Are You?' Meredith slammed the pager shut and pulled herself to her feet. She had been in the elevator for nearly twenty minutes and knew they would be trying to open the doors. Pushing the stop back in she pressed to go down but was caught by Bailey on the third floor.

'You, Board Room, Now,' Baileys voice was calm but stern causing Meredith not question her, just to follow. She knew Bailey had probably told the Chief, Addison or even worse, Derek. She didn't want him to know. It would kill him. Trust wasn't and issue but she knew that knowing what Pete had done would finish his temper. Meredith sat over at the end of the table, Bailey walking about the room.

'You wanna talk?'

'No…Please don't tell Derek. I don't want him to know,'

'Meredith…' Bailey walked over and sat next to Meredith, taking her hand.

'When you told me…He was right behind you,' Meredith's blood drained away from her face.

'how…why didn't you stop me?'

'I tried to make you stop but you wouldn't let me,'

'Where did he go?'

'I don't know. He ran off in the opposite direction. I tried to go after him but my legs aren't as long as his and he was walking to fast for me,'

'I have to find him,'

'No, give him space,'

'He paged me, asking where I was,' Bailey pulled the envelope out her pocket and handed it to Meredith.

'This is from Pete,' Meredith ripped the envelope open suddenly. A gold ring fell out and hit the floor. Picking it up, Meredith's hand started Shaking.

'Son of a bitch,' Meredith ran out the room and along to Pete's. His eyes were closed. Banging the door open, she watched as the smile crept across his face.

'I knew that would bring you back,'

'This…this means nothing to me. Why are you doning this? You destroyed my life already, was that not enough for you? Have to keep screwing it up?'

'Glad to see I can still get a reaction out of you,' Meredith walked over and pressed down on his stomch. He started screaming in pain.

'I wish that one day you could of felt what I felt with every punch, slap, kick, touch. I'm happy now,' Meredith lifted her hand and threw the ring in the bin.

'Rot in hell,' Meredith pulled the door over behind her and stopped. Looking over to the nurses station, her heart stopped. He was standing, watching her. Pushing the pieces of hair behind her ears she walked over to the elevator and pressed to go down. She needed company, her old company. The trolley corridor was where they all used to meet if their was a problem or a moment of weakness. Their old haunt hadn't changed in the five years Meredith had been back and the new interns had tried to take it over as their own but it was always fight club. Meredith slumped on the trolley next to Christina.

'Spill,'

'I can't,'

'Why?'

'Derek doesn't even know,'

'Ok, now you have to spill,' Meredith burst into tears, sending Christina into an uneasy silence.

'Ok, first, stop crying. Second, you and Derek are in separable. Go and talk to him, sort it out. Third I didn't do this,' Christina leant over and hugged Meredith. Meredith started laughing.

'Like I said, I never did this,' Christina lifted her bottle and threw it at Meredith.

'Go talk to him,' Meredith nodded her head and finished Christina bottle. Throwing it into the bin, she was startled at who was standing at the stairs.

'Why didn't you tell me?'

'How was I supposed to tell you that? Just drop it into the conversation over dinner? It's not the nicest thing to keep to yourself,'

'Then why did you?' Derek walked over and sat net to Meredith on the bed.

'I was frightened,'

'Of what?'

'That you would loose your temper,' Meredith was playing with her engagement ring when Derek took hold of her hand.

'Meredith, we've talked about this. I could never ever do what he did to you. You have my word on that,'

'You seem angry,'

'I am, but not with you. With that bastard, If I had the choice, he'd be six foot under by now,'

'He's not going to last twenty four hours,'

'He's getting what he deserves. I still don't understand why you kept this from me,'

'I…I just thought if I didn't talk about it or think about it, it would go away. Like it never happened. Things were great and then he came back. Then it built up and I exploded it onto Bailey, stupidly,'

'No, you had a right to tell somebody, anybody. Just promise me one thing,'

'What?'

'that we'll talk. I want everything out in the open. No more secrets. Deal?'

'Deal,' Meredith fell against Derek's chest and sighed. As she sat there listening to his chest, she could feel his grip around her getting tighter, but not in a bad way, in a protective way, like he was vowing not to let anyone hurt her again. But then she felt something gently hit her head. Looking up to Derek, the tears were falling silently from his face. Wrapping her arms around his neck, his face nuzzled into her. She didn't know what to do or say. This had killed him inside, the one reason she didn't want to tell him but she knew it was right. He should of known sooner and she was glad he did. After ten minutes the sound of footsteps broke them apart. Richard Webber was standing, Bailey behind him.

'Meredith…Pete…he's dead,'


End file.
